A primer on South Florida's hurricane history

The heart of hurricane season is about two weeks away yet we've already felt the remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal earlier this month and for awhile Tropical Storm Dorian had us on edge.

It's widely known that we're one of the most storm-battered regions in the nation. But there are plenty of facts you may not be aware of.

Here are answers to questions you may have about South Florida's hurricane history, based on continuous records kept since 1851.

How many hurricanes have hit South Florida, including the Keys?

A total of 46, and of those 26 were Category 3 or higher. And those numbers might be low, said Jim Lushine, a weather history buff and retired National Weather Service meteorologist.

"Some hurricanes may have gone unreported during the 19th century, when the population was sparse," he said.

The last hurricane to strike the region and the state was Wilma in October 2005.

What are the earliest/latest dates a hurricane has affected South Florida?

The earliest was on June 17, 1906; the system angled northeast across the southern tip of the state as a Category 1. The latest was on Nov. 4, 1935, known as the Yankee Hurricane because after developing near Bermuda it approached South Florida from the northeast and struck Miami Beach.

What are the earliest/latest dates a major hurricane has struck here?

The earliest was on Aug 16 in both 1871 and 1888. In more recent times, Hurricane Andrew struck on Aug. 24 in 1992. The latest was Category 3 Hurricane King, which struck the Keys and downtown Miami on Oct. 17, 1950, causing severe damage across the region. More recently, Hurricane Wilma hit southwest Florida as a Category 3 on Oct. 24, 2005, but weakened to Category 2 by the time it reached South Florida.

What were the most/least number in one season to strike South Florida?

The most: In both 1935 and 1933, three hurricanes struck the region. Among the 1935 systems was the infamous Labor Day hurricane, one of only three Category 5 systems to strike the U.S. coast. It devastated the Middle Keys and caused damage as far north as Miami-Dade County.

Several years have seen two hurricanes have hit the region, with the most recent being 2005, when Katrina and Wilma struck South Florida. In 2004 Frances and Jeanne hit in nearly the same location, just north of Palm Beach County, three weeks apart. In 1948, two major hurricanes hit the area two weeks apart.

The least: In 125 of the past 161 years, South Florida saw no hurricanes.

Which were the most/least deadliest?

The 1928 Lake Okeechobee hurricane was by far the deadliest, killing at least 2,500, mostly as a result of flooding.

"This was one of greatest losses of life in any U.S. natural disaster, including earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes, floods and heat waves," Lushine said.

In terms of a South Florida metro area, the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane left 220 dead, and killed 150 more near Lake Okeechobee.

Several storms did not kill anyone in this area, with the latest being Jeanne in September 2004.

Which were the most/least costliest to hit South Florida?

Andrew was the costliest with losses of $48 billion adjusted to 2013 dollars. If the Great Miami Hurricane of 1926 were to hit today, with the build-up of the coast, it would cost more than $100 billion, according to National Hurricane Center estimates.

Several hurricanes have caused only minor damage, particularly early in the area's history, when there were few residents and structures.

Which hurricanes had the strongest/weakest winds?

Andrew in 1992, a Category 5 with sustained winds of 175 mph, was the strongest, while the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane was second with gusts of 155 mph. Several systems had minimal hurricane winds, including Katrina, which had top winds of 73 mph while it was over land in August 2005.

Which were the biggest/smallest hurricanes?

Although no definitive measurements are kept on size, the largest likely was the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane, Lushine said.

"It had winds of 100 mph throughout all of coastal Broward, Palm Beach and northern Miami-Dade counties," he said. "It's estimated that hurricane force winds extended a total distance of 240 miles along the Florida east coast."

The smallest was King, which had a damage path only 14 miles wide.

Which were the wettest/driest hurricanes?

The wettest: In October 1999, Irene left 17.5 inches of rain in Boynton Beach and swamped most of the region. The driest is thought to be Hurricane Cleo, which produced only 5 inches in 1964.

Which were the longest/shortest lasting hurricanes?

In October 1910, a major hurricane looped in the Gulf of Mexico and lashed much of the southern third of the state for up to 96 hours. Most recently, Frances in September 2004 pummeled the Palm Beach County coast for more than 36 hours.

Andrew was fast moving and plowed over south Miami-Dade County in only six hours.

How many hurricanes have made loops near South Florida?

Two. One in 1904 and another in 1910, both leaving copious amounts of rain.